Big brother is watching you

bunking_off

I'm impressed...I think.

Just been booking some rail tickets on-line using my Egg card, and managed to get the expiry date wrong, so had to re-enter it.

Immediately the transaction went through, my phone rang and I had an Egg computer taking me through the last 3 transactions asking me to confirm each as valid or fraudulent. Was almost as if someone was stood behind me watching me buy the tickets!

Now I know how my wife feels when I'm away on business but have on-line banking so am able to query her just what she'd spent £XXX on in some clothes shop or other....

Maid_of_Kent_3

I've had this happen a couple of times. Once it was when the last transactions included buying a 3 piece suite followed by a stay in a hotel and a restaurant meal in Paris. (They were all by me)

I think the system looks for unusual or suspicious patterns of use. Prior to this system, on one occasion my card was abrubtly refused although there was more than enough credit. I will admit I had been on a shopping spree in 3 different towns in one day and had used it more than a "usual number of times"

I think it's great and would rather err on the safe side than have some scumbag run riot with my card or face the embarassment of having the card refused.

bunking_off

Yes, think part of it was the random locations I'd been

- tickets from Virgin are done via Edinburgh
- had bought some petrol in south east
- bought parking season ticked in northwest

wigginsmum

I used to use a credit card to fund Paypal, and MINT got it into their heads to call me about every transaction. As I was buying 15-20 items a day, they soon got fed-up with it.

The_doomed

same happens with rbs / tesco. had egg on phone twice now and tesco one.

re tesco call, it wasnt my fault I hit the 0 too many times and went to deposit £10,000 into the bookies instead of a tenner!

poppy_f1

i've never had my credit card companys query any of my transactions even ones abroad

ex-egghead

I personally think its a great idea that credit card companies do this for you. It may at times be frustrating given the circumstances.

Certain transactions flag up and its very difficult to tell which ones will and which ones won't. Things like rail tickets and stuff like that are always suspicious, particually if you live in the london area. Alot of credit card crime is committed purchasing rail tickets at automated machines.

It supprised me initally when I found so many people disliked this idea and complained about it when it was introduced! I say what would you prefer? The statement to be £1000 more than it should be with fraud on it?? Hmmm

bunking_off

No-one said we disliked it...it was more spooky that the phone call came through before the "transaction complete" page...

MoneyMagnet

I've only had a bank (Bank of Scotland) query my card use once, which was last year after I'd spent several weeks making purchases every day. I was buying stock for my business, so this was an unusual spending pattern for me, but it took them about a month to notice & to query it - not quite as quick as the others here!

I do think it's a good thing that they check up - like others said, better that than having the card refused or letting some fraudster go on a shopping spree!